Perfect Strangers
by SerenityWinter
Summary: Caitlin Snow and her friends decided to take a trip to Amsterdam. But with foreign lands and old friends, it became so much more than just a trip. A Snowbarry fic.


**Perfect Strangers**

 **By SerenityWinter**

 **A/N: The end of this story was sort of rushed, sorry. Everyone is a bit OOC as well. I also kind of combined Barry's character with Sebastian Smythe from Glee, so that turned out kind of interesting. Surprises, which is kind of what this story was about. Inspired by the song "Perfect Strangers" by Jonas Blue. Enjoy!**

All Caitlin Snow wanted was a trip to Amsterdam with her friends. She would be there for less than a week before she had to go back to school. Everything in her life was always meticulously planned, never any room for spontaneity. That's why she brought Sara Lance and Felicity Smoak. Felicity's optimism and Sara's affinity for causing chaos would make them the perfect team to finally get Caitlin out of her shell.

When Caitlin proposed the idea to them, Felicity was a good friend and quick to agree. Sara wanted to go too because she'd been looking for a reason to get out of town. They made plans and booked the flight.

Sometime later, they each took cabs to the airport and met outside.

"Really, that's all you packed?" Caitlin asked.

Sara held up the two duffel bags she'd brought, "What? It's all I need. I can buy things there anyway."

"I'll share the stuff I brought with you," Felicity offered.

"Thanks,"

They spent the next hour or so running around, checking their bags, finding their gate, and grabbing food. Caitlin had packed a carry on with her laptop and other various electronics. When Sara saw all the fancy tech Felicity packed, she said, "You're not planning to hack the FBI database while we're on vacation, are you?"

"Haha, very funny."

Their section was called and they got in line based on their numbers. They all boarded their plane, seats near each other. Caitlin plugged in her earbuds and began to play the playlist she had made several weeks in advance specifically for the flight. Sara got ready to take a nap, and Felicity was in the midst of reading another book.

Before long, their flight landed. They found their luggage, called a cab, and regrouped outside of the airport. The car arrived and Caitlin pulled out one of the many maps she'd brought with her. "We definitely have to see the Van Gogh Museum while we're here. Of course, we have to explore Jordaan and Museumplein. Before I forget, I also brought an empty bag for souvenirs. Patty and Cisco are going to want something. I should get something for Professor Wells too."

"Okay, first of all," Sara said, "you're already Wells' favourite student. Second, we should go to the hotel before going to see any of the stuff you were talking about."

"Maybe we should go to the hotel, unpack, rest, and then we'll explore Amsterdam," Felicity said.

Everyone agreed on Felicity's plan and Sara gave the driver directions to the hotel. Caitlin was the most excited to see Amsterdam. Not even thirty seconds could go by without Caitlin talking about how they needed to try herring or take a canal cruise. It was annoying, but Felicity was excited about the trip too. Sara was excited about getting to the hotel and all the fancy amenities.

Caitlin stopped by the hotel front desk to check in and get their room key. Sara and Felicity raced to the room via the stairs while Caitlin took the suitcases in the elevator. When she arrived, they had already dropped most of their stuff and Sara flopped down on the bed.

"I'm so tired," Felicity said.

"Me too," Sara said, "I'm taking a nap."

Sara didn't even put the blankets on before falling asleep and Caitlin could hear the sound of Felicity snoring not that long after. It only took Caitlin about fifteen minutes to put the clothes away. She sat down and opened her laptop to look at all the popular markets and locations they could visit later. The spreadsheet carefully detailed their week. Caitlin planned some biking trails for Sara and a visit to a quaint farmers market for Felicity. After highlighting all the different events, (blue for Caitlin, yellow for Sara, and pink for Felicity) there was nothing left for her to do.

She laid down on the remaining bed for a nap. A few hours later, everyone was awake and the jet lag had sort of worn off. Felicity had taken the precaution of adjusting their clocks to the time zone. "So, what should we do now?" Sara asked.

"I don't know, maybe go to lunch?" Felicity suggested.

"I was thinking we could get something from a food truck and walk around the Amsterdam University of the Arts. Maybe check out the campus," Caitlin said.

"That sounds good," Felicity said.

Sara grabbed her coat, "Let's get going then."

Everyone put on their coats and left the room, Felicity closing the door behind them. They walked down the streets, the cold winter breeze chilling the air. The friends stopped at a food truck and got some herring. The first bite inspired quite different reactions from each of them.

"Oh, my god," exclaimed Felicity, "that's disgusting!"

"I like it," Sara said.

"I'm not really sure. Not a big fan of fish. Lena definitely wouldn't like this though," Caitlin said.

"Lena hates salmon, not herring. I don't think she's tried herring before, anyway," Sara corrected.

"I guess that's true. We should get going now, if we want to catch the show," Felicity said.

They threw away the food wrappers and started walking towards the school.

"What do you guys want to see?" Felicity asked.

"I don't know," Sara shrugged, "I guess the modern dance could be kind of cool."

"I kind of wanted to see the art exhibit. What about you?" Caitlin asked.

Felicity said, "I was sort of looking forward to the orchestra."

"Maybe we could just split up, see our individual performances, and then meet up afterwards. What do you think Cait?" Sara asked.

"I think that could work. Maybe we could meet up at the photography section when you guys are done. The exhibit is one of the longer events," Caitlin suggested.

Everyone agreed on the plan, and they soon arrived at the school's campus. Felicity and Sara left because their performances were starting in a few minutes. Caitlin stopped by a bulletin board and looked at a bunch of the flyers. There were a bunch of advertisements for ballet performances and various art classes. She heard a voice from behind her. "Are you a student?"

Caitlin turned around, "Oh, no. There's an art exhibit that I'm going to check out later."

The young woman shook Caitlin's outstretched hand, "Iris. Iris West."

"Iris West? Did you go to school in Central City?"

"Caitlin Snow? It's so good to see you again."

"So, are you thinking about going here?" Caitlin asked.

"I'm taking a campus tour, but I think I'll end up just going to school back home," Iris said.

"So, how long are you in town for?"

"I think we're staying for about a week."  
"We?"

"My brother came with me. His name's Barry… and he's single."

"I think I'm good. I'm going to be a doctor and college is already stressful enough without relationships."

"Alright, but let me know if you change your mind. How long are you in town for?" Iris asked.

"My friends and I are here for a week. Hopefully, we'll be able to de-stress before school starts up again."

"The tour's starting soon, so I should probably get going. Here's my number. Maybe we could meet up for lunch or something before you have to go back."

"That sounds nice, thanks. Have fun on your tour," Caitlin said.

"Thanks."

Caitlin walked around for a few moments and enjoyed her beautiful surroundings. Time flew by and it was time to head to the art exhibition. The heating was a nice break from the cold outside. She roamed around the room and looked at the paintings and sculptures. One piece in particular caught her eye. Caitlin preferred the sciences to art, but she could appreciate art sometimes.

She carefully examined the bold colors and shapes on the canvas. Quiet footsteps sounded behind her. "Tourist?"

"Yeah, you?" She looked at the person standing beside her.

"I'm here with my sister. She's doing a tour of the campus," he said.

"Any chance you're Iris West's brother?" Caitlin asked.

"Yeah, I'm Barry. Barry Allen."

"Caitlin Snow. I met Iris earlier today. She's really nice."

"She's the best. You went to high school in Central City, right?"

"Yeah.".

"I thought you looked familiar."

They stood there, looking at the painting for a few moments.

Caitlin was the one to break the silence, "So, you like art?"

"Yeah. I can't draw to save my life, but I remember the singing and dancing lessons as a kid. What about you?"

"Not really. Besides school, I don't really get out much. There's some art that just sort of grows on me. Sort of like a fungus."

Barry laughed. They kept talking even as the crowd thinned and the hall was almost empty. Caitlin checked her phone and realized that the modern dance and orchestra performances were ending. "I should get going. I have to meet my friends soon," Caitlin said.

"It was nice meeting you, Caitlin."

"You too, Barry," she said.

The young woman made her way to the end of the hal near the photography section and figured she should wait for them in the lobby. Caitlin texted Felicity and Sara her location. A few minutes later, they showed up. "We were looking for you," Sara said.

"There was pretty much nobody left," Felicity said.

"Except an attractive young man that I nearly convinced Felicity to whistle at," Sara said.

Felicity's cheeks reddened, "You did not!"

Caitlin laughed, "Well, I know his sister. I could probably set you two up."

"He wouldn't like me," Felicity said.

"Hey, even if he doesn't, which he won't, Sara will kick his ass, right?" Caitlin asked.

"You know it," Sara said.

"We should get going, it's getting dark out," Felicity said.

They put their jackets on and went outside, braving the cold weather once more. Once arriving in the hotel room, Felicity had a realization.

"Wait, what about dinner?" She asked.

Caitlin hesitated. She hadn't really thought out dinner. Thankfully, Sara stepped in, "Two words. Room service. Mic drop."

"Genius, and we don't even have to leave the room," Caitlin said.

Felicity dialed the number for room service and everyone put in their orders. Sara flopped down on one of the beds and sighed, "I love vacation. Comfy rooms, foreign lands, handsome strangers."

A text alert sounded on Caitlin's phone and Felicity picked up the phone, "Speaking of handsome strangers," she said.

The message was from Iris: I heard you met Barry today.

"You said handsome! You totally have a crush on him," Caitlin said.

Caitlin ran around the room, ducking the pillow Felicity threw.

"I do not have a crush on him!" Felicity exclaimed.

"Oh, that's right," Sara said, "you're too busy fawning over Oliver!"

Felicity blushed furiously as she playfully tossed a pillow at Sara, "I do not!"

Sara and Caitlin started singing, "Felicity and Oliver, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-"

They were cut off by a knock on the door. Sara jumped down from the bed and went to answer it. Felicity and Caitlin paused, the blond reaching for her friends phone as Caitlin held it high above her head. Moments later, Sara set the food down on the table, "Room service!"

"Wow, that was quick," Caitlin said.

Felicity hopped off the bed and grabbed her food, taking a seat in front of the tv. There was a brief battle for control of the remote, which Sara inevitably won. For centuries, it has been tradition that the one chosen to hold the remote may choose the television show. For five minutes, they channel surfed until Sara settled on _Grey's Anatomy_.

"Hey, don't Lexie Gray and Alex look alike?" Sara asked.

"No, I don't really see it," Caitlin said.

They keep debating about what was going to happen next on the show. It was getting late, and Felicity was the first to fall asleep. Sara and Caitlin looked over to see the unconscious blonde snoring in front of the television. Sara mouthed silently, "One.. two… three."

They quietly moved over to Felicity, Sara gently taking her feet and Caitlin grabbing her arms. Another countdown, and they lifted the sleeping Felicity, carrying her and gently lowering her onto the bed. Caitlin took Felicity's glasses off while Sara covered her with the blanket.

After getting ready, Sara and Caitlin climbed into the other bed. They had both learned their lessons for, they had previously been victims of Felicity's tendency to kick people while she was sleeping. And this isn't the cute playful tyre of kicking. It was like Felicity was fighting away evil demons. Caitlin had at least a bruise or two to prove it.

Before long, Sara's breathing slowed, and she was asleep in a just a brief moment. Caitlin's mind wandered for what seemed like forever. Eventually, sleep came. The dreams were a welcome visitor to keep away the stress about the impending school year.

Caitlin woke up and pushed Sarah's arm back onto her side of the bed. Sara had a tendency to steal most of the blankets and space. Caitlin got up, showered, and dressed. When she left the bathroom, everyone else was still asleep. "Hey, Felicity," Caitlin whispered, "wake up!"

Felicity blinked her eyes open, "What time is it?"

"About 8:30," Caitlin said, "you should probably get dressed before I wake up Sara."

While Felicity was getting ready, Caitlin went through the schedule for the day. She checked the clock. 9:00. Felicity and Caitlin knew that if they woke up Sara before 9:00, there was a decent chance she might hit them. Accidentally or not. "Hey, Sara. It's time to wake up," Caitlin said, walking over to the windows and opening the blinds.

Sara rolled over and covered her ears with the pillows, "Five more minutes!"

Caitlin walked over to the bed and tugged Sara's blankets away.

"Why are you so mean?" Sara groaned.

"There's a nice, hot breakfast waiting for you downstairs," Caitlin said.

Sara immediately sat up, "Why didn't you start with that then?"

It took persuasion and patience, but eventually, they were all downstairs eating breakfast. "So, what are we doing today?" Felicity asked.

"I was thinking we could check out some of the markets today. We should start looking for gifts to bring back," Caitlin said.

"Tonight we could go out. Check out the Amsterdam nightlife," Sara suggested.

"I was going to meet Iris later today for lunch," Caitlin said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. When you say Iris, do you mean Iris West? Iris West from high school?" Felicity asked.

All three of the young women knew Iris West. Back in high school, Iris wasn't popular or unpopular. She was the nicest person in school and friends with everyone. Even when the football players were making fun of the outcasts, Iris defended them. That's why everyone liked her. Back then, if you approached anybody that wasn't popular and asked them about Iris, they'd all be able to recall at least one instance where Iris had defended them against the bullies.

"Yeah," Caitlin said.

"I wonder what she's been up to lately," Sara wondered.

Cailin checked the time, "There's a bus tour soon. We should probably get going soon if you guys want to come with."

"Sounds fun," Sara said.

Felicity started gathering the plates, "I'm not going to miss it."

After gathering their stuff, they were on the tour. Sara had somehow convinced them to sit on the upper deck of the bus. The moment the bus started moving, they immediately regretted their choice.

Caitlin turned to Sara, "Nice going, genius."

"Be nice, the tour isn't that long," Felicity said.

It turned out that Felicity was right. The tour didn't last that long, and they were soon inside a heated building. The friends stumbled upon a mall-type complex. It was mostly Felicity's idea that they buy some gloves. When packing for the trip, it seemed they forgot to calculate the temperature. And that's why Caitlin typically wasn't fond of spontaneity.

The bruette texted Iris, inviting her to lunch. Iris accepted and they set up a time.

Caitlin opened the schedule on her phone. "It's supposed to warm up later today, and there's a hike I planned for Sara. We have some rest and relaxation time now, though. "Felicity, I got you tickets for a play later."

"What play?"

" _My Fair Lady_. You kind of remind me of Eliza sometimes."

"Ooh, fun!" Felicity clapped her hands excitedly.

"For now, we should go for a walk. We can see more of the city that way," Sara said.

Of course, it didn't take long…

"Where the hell are we!" Sara said.

"This is your fault!" Caitlin responded.

"Not to take sides, but it was sort of your idea Sara," Felicity said, "but it's alright. We'll just pull up a map, okay?"

Felicity worked on figuring out where they were while Caitlin tried her hardest not to call Sara a dumbass.

Caitlin said, "We're going to miss lunch with Iris."

Sara couldn't figure out the map, and Felicity couldn't get any service. After wandering around for a little while, they were able to find a place with reception. Caitlin dialed Iris' number. Just a short while later, Iris showed up outside. She pushed open the taxi door, "Get in loser, we're going shopping."

Three looks of utter confusion appeared on the faces of the Lance, Snow, and Smoak girls. " _Mean Girls_ , the movie? Haven't you seen it?" Iris asked.

Caitlin shook her head.

"I can fix that," Iris said, "but first, lunch."

Lunch went well. Good food was a lot better than being lost in a strange city. They ended up hanging out for longer than expected. It seemed to be fate that Caitlin and Iris met, and it didn't take long for the trio to turn into a quartet. Later that day, Sara went on her hike and Felicity to see the play. Caitlin and Iris took a walk and enjoyed the city. Caitlin thought it was rather nice to catch up, at least until Iris brought up Barry.

"So, what did you think?" Iris asked.

"Of…"

"Barry!"

"He's nice, I guess. Why do you ask?"

"Well, he's a huge nerd. You're kind of a nerd too, no offense."

"None taken," Caitlin said, "where are you going with this?"

Iris looked at her for a moment and Caitlin's eyes widened, "Sorry Iris, not going to happen."

"You two would be perfect together!"

"No, no, no."

"Yes!" Iris exclaimed.

"I don't have time for relationships."

"Ever since he broke up with his girlfriend, he's been moping around the house. One date and I'll let it go."

"I'll consider it."

Iris beamed, "I ship it."

Caitlin laughed, "We should probably get going, Felicity's play will be over soon."

They took a cab to the theater and waited in the lobby. After a few minutes, Felicity emerged from the theater. She saw them and waved.

"Hey, how was it?" Caitlin asked.

"Amazing," Felicity checked the time, "where is Sara?"

"We're meeting her at the hotel and getting ready," Iris said.

"Wait, ready for what?" Caitlin asked.

"I'm going out tonight, and you guys are coming with me," Iris said.

Simultaneously, Felicity said "That sounds fun!" just as Caitlin said, "I don't think so."

"Come on, Caitlin," Iris said.

Felicity said, "It'll be fun."

They kept encouraging her and with a sigh, Caitlin said, "I guess one night couldn't hurt…"

"Let's go then, Sara's probably waiting," Felicity said.

They called a cab and soon arrived at their friend's location. Iris opened the door and Sara got in the cab.

"So, what's the plan?" Sara asked.

"We're going to the hotel and then we're going out tonight!" Felicity said excitedly.

"Sounds fun, I'm in," Sara said.

They gave the cab driver the hotel address. The drive was short and they were soon in the hotel room. Sara was in the shower while Felicity and Iris figured out where they were going to. Caitlin received a text message: Is this Caitlin Snow's number?

She typed backed quickly: Yeah, who is this?

A response arrived almost immediately: Barry Allen. Iris gave me your number.

Meanwhile, Caitlin was looking through the suitcases, trying to figure out outfits for each of them. "Sequins!" Iris said.

"What?" Caitlin asked.

"Go with that dress. The black one with the sequins."

"If I wear that dress, I am definitely not doing karaoke," Caitlin responded.

Iris said, "Maybe if you have a few drinks first…"

Caitlin stuck her head from behind the closet, "Not happening!"

Sara emerged from the bathroom, in the process of drying her hair. "So, where are we going?"

"I think I found the perfect place," Iris said.

"Wait, what's Iris going to wear?" Sara asked.

"You can borrow some of my clothes," Felicity said, "we're about the same size anyway."

Caitlin tossed some clothes at each of them, "Time to get dressed. I actually don't remember how Iris talked me into this."

"We should get dressed before Cait changes her mind," Felicity said quietly.

Soon, they were all dressed and outside the bar. "Here we are," Sara said, "at a fancy bar in Amsterdam, all tarted up."

"Let me stop you there," Caitlin interrupted, "I want to remind you all that we have shared hotel rooms."

"You ready to go inside?" Iris asked.

They walked into the crowded bar. Felicity had to go to the and Iris went with her. Sara ordered a drink and a soda for Caitlin. Caitlin looked at people in the room as potential dates for her friends. She spotted an attractive blonde woman sitting across the bar and nudged Sara, "Hey, what about her?" Caitlin asked.

"She's not really my type," Sara said.

Iris and Felicity made their way over to the seats next to Caitlin and Sara. The four young women drank and chatted for a while until Iris went over to the mass of people to join them on the dance floor. "There's a bachelorette party over there," Felicity said.

"Those two are married and the rest are needy and sad drunks," Sara said.

"How'd you know that?" Caitlin asked.

Sara tapped her forehead, "Sixth sense."

Felicity went to join Iris on the dance floor and there was an attractive raven-haired woman flirting with Sara across the bar. Sara bought the woman a drink and went over to talk to her.

Caitlin took a sip of her soda when she heard someone slide into the seat beside her. The familiar face of Barry Allen looked at her, "Fancy meeting you here," he said.

"What're you doing here?"

"Iris told me I should come here tonight. Had nothing better to do, so here I am. What about you?"

"Iris somehow convinced my friends and I to come here too."

"I've heard a lot about you, Caitlin. Iris talks about you all the time."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Caitlin asked.

"Good, I guess. She says that she 'ships' us. I'm not sure what it means though."

It took a few minutes for Caitlin to explain what it was. Even after she was finished with the explanation, she didn't have the heart to tell him how she knew so much about shipping. The knowledge came from her love of fanfiction as a teenager, and still as an adult.

"Well, that clears things up," Barry said, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Hey, I don't like this any more than you do," Caitlin said.

Barry was insulted by that remark, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Caitlin hesitated for a moment, "Iris is trying to set us up."

"I can't believe this," he said.

"Hey, you're the one that's been moping around for weeks just because your girlfriend dumped you!"

"Okay, I'm insulted. But why is she trying to set us up?"

"Iris told me that _you_ need to get out of the house. She's stubborn."

Barry took a sip from his drink, "Don't need to tell me how stubborn she is. And I do _not_ mope."

"The only reason I agreed to go on a date with you was because I felt bad."

"I don't need your pity. Iris shouldn't be meddling in my life anyway."

"Iris says you're a total nerd," Caitlin said.

He scoffed, "That is so not true!"

Caitlin pulled up the picture Iris had sent her of a Lego Millenium Falcon that Barry had built. Personally, Caitlin thought it was kind of cool, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

"Really?" she asked.

"Okay, that is kind of incriminating. Iris wouldn't have set us up if you weren't a nerd too."

"I am not a nerd! You're the one who is so pathetic, your sister is trying to get you a girlfriend."

There was an uncomfortable silence between them before Caitlin spoke, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

"Well, you're not wrong. When Patty and I broke up-"

A stern look from the young woman next to him, and Barry corrected himself, "When Patty dumped me… I took it hard. I had trouble getting out of the house, and this trip was a way for me to- I don't know- actually connect with people. Find friends… maybe more than that."

He cleared his throat, "So, uh, why are you here? Amsterdam, I mean."

"I thought that my friends and I could just take a little trip before school starts up again. An opportunity for relaxation and fun before school sucks the life out of us once more."

They chuckled for a moment, "By the way, I don't need the pity date."

"You sure about that? Based on what I know about you, you'd rather spend all of your time with your _sister_ instead of finding friends to hang out with."

"Iris is awesome and I have plenty of friends."

"Name three friends and I will have Iris verify it."

Barry hesitated, "Fine, you got me. Iris is pretty much my only friend. We've known each other sice we were kids and she was nice to me after her dad took me in."

"I don't exactly have that many friends earlier. You made me pity you, so I will set you up with my friend Felicity. She has a crush on you," Caitlin took a sip of her soda, "and I thought she'd have better taste."

"Hey, I am pretty good looking. Your friend Felicity sounds like a lovely person."

"And there we have it."

"What?"

"You are so self-absorbed. I take back my offer. Felicity is a good person and I don't want to put her through… this."

"I am smart though," Barry said.

"Are you going to college?"

"I'm studying to be a forensic psychologist. What about you?"

"Science and medicine. I'm going to be a doctor."

"Yeah, I thought so."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's just, you seem like the type of person that likes to order people around," Barry said.

"And you seem like a vain loser," Caitlin retorted.

"You didn't let me finish. You also seem like the type of person that wants to help people. Iris told me about how you coordinated the whole trip for your friends."

"Maybe you're not so bad yourself."

"A compliment coming from you," he raised his glass, "cheers. To Barry and Caitlin, two not-so-bad people."

They clinked their glasses and drank.

"You like art, don't you?" Barry asked.

"I suppose so, why do you ask?"

"Well, I mean, we met at an art gallery. I figured you liked art if you were there."

"What about you? I'm guessing you like art too," she said.

"I don't, but my friend Peter had a few pieces featured. I figured I'd go and support him. You should go to the Van Gogh museum. Since you like art and all."

"Why don't you like art?"

"It just doesn't really make sense to me. Most of it just looks like a bunch of shapes."

"Each painting tells a story. They're all so full of emotion. It's beautiful."

"It's gibberish!"

"It's important!"

"I'm not arguing with you!" Barry said, ordering another drink.

"Well, your opinions are wrong," she retorted.

"Meet me at the cafe down the street, 3:00 tomorrow. Change my mind," Barry smirked.

Barry left just as Caitlin was about to respond. Sara took the seat next to her. "So, I saw you were talking to Sir Full-of-Himself the III."

"How'd it go with that girl over there?"

"Got her number!"

"Nice!"

"More importantly, what happened with you and Barry?"

"We just talked!"

"You're being defensive," Sara said.

Caitlin nonchalantly took a sip of her soda, "I'm meeting him at the cafe tomorrow."

Sara gasped, "You, Caitlin Snow, are going on a date!"

"It's not a date and I'm done talking about this with you."

"Fine, I'm tired anyway," she shrugged, "I think I'm heading back to the hotel soon."

Felicity and Iris sat down, out of breath. "That was so much fun!" Iris said.

"Hey, guess what?" Sara asked, "Caitlin's-"

"Going back to the hotel," Caitlin glared at Sara, "I'm ready to call it a day."

They all agreed it was pretty late and caught a cab. "Hold on, stop the cab!" Iris said.

"What's going on?" Felicity asked.

"Just wait a minute," Iris responded.

Iris disappeared into a building and emerged a few minutes, holding a bag of takeout and sat in the car. "Genius!" Sara said.  
A short while later, they arrived at the hotel. It was late, so they turned it into a sleepover. The four of them ate dinner, and soon fell asleep.

Surprisingly, Sara and Caitlin were the first ones to wake up. "Why are you up so early?" Caitin asked.  
"Felicity kept kicking me and I couldn't fall asleep. I need coffee," Sara groaned.

"I need coffee too."

They left a quick note to let the others know where they were. The cafe wasn't very far, so it was a relatively short walk.

Sara sat down while Caitlin ordered their coffee and brought it back to the table. The two young women chatted for a little while.

Just then, Iris and Felicity walked through the door and greeted the other two young women. "Hope nothing too exciting happened while we were gone," Iris said.

"Nothing much," Caitlin said, "we just went for a walk."

Sara inconspicuously took a sip of her coffee, "Caitlin's going on a date with Barry," she said in a sing-song voice.

Iris gawked, "Really?"

"It's not a date!" Caitlin insisted.

"Are you going out?" Felicity asked.

"Yes."

Sara added, "Is it just the two of you?"

Caitlin hesitated for a moment, "Yes."

Sara gave Caitlin a pointed look. There was a moment of silence before Sara, Felicity, and Iris spoke. "It's a date!" they said.

"If that's what you want to believe. So, what do you guys want to do later today?"

"Don't change the subject," Iris said, "no matter how much you try to distract us, we are not letting this go. We will be waiting until you get home from the date."

"Fine, but what's the verdict?" Caitlin asked.

"About what?" Iris asked

"Going to college in Amsterdam," Caitlin clarified.

"I don't really think here is for me. There's nobody I know here and it just doesn't feel like a good fit. Besides, Central City University is waiting at home for me," Iris said.

Eventually, Caitlin left for what everyone except her considered her to be a date. By the time she arrived, Barry was already sitting at one of the tables. She sat down across from him and he slid a cup of coffee over to her. The two talked for a moment until Caitlin said, "I can't believe that everyone thought this was a date. I just came here to fix your wrong opinions. Except, you're so full of yourself you can't even-"

She saw Barry looking at her, "What?"

"Nothing," Barry said, drawing out the "o"

"This is a date, isn't it?"

"Whatever you want to think."

His annoying smirk annoyed the hell out of her. "See, this is what I hate about you! You are just so frustrating, and you never give a straight answer for anything!"

"There's a thin line between love and hate."

"So your solution was to trick me into going on a date? I didn't think that even a loser like you would resort to lies to get a date."

Caitlin got up and left the cafe. After doing so, she realized that she forgot her jacket. "Well, this isn't good," Caitlin muttered to herself.

"Forgot your jacket," said a voice behind her.

She turned to see Barry Allen standing there, holding her jacket and coffee. Caitlin quickly took the jacket and coffee. "Let me call you a cab," he said.

"I'm fine," she spat.

Caitlin turned back around, "The only reason I agreed to go on a date with you was because I've known Iris since high school. She was obviously wrong about you. You said you didn't need the date and than tricked me into going on a date with you anyway."

"I brought you your coat."

"So?"

"It was chivalrous."

"Doesn't make you any less of a jackass."

He moved to stand next to her on the pavement, "Never expected you to use that kind of language."

"Jerk."

"Know-it-all."

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

"You're the one who made it personal," Barry retorted.

"You have tiny wrists and-and a feminine waist!"

It was a tiny detail, but she noticed how he tentatively wrapped his arms around his waist. Quite a bit of strength was required for Caitlin not to laugh at his childish insecurity.

"You're privileged and stuffy and…" Barry trailed off.

Somehow during their arguing, they had drifted towards each other. There was almost no space left between them now. "You're infuriating," Caitlin's voice was nearly a whisper.

Just then, the cab parked near them. Barry moved slightly to open the door. He leaned in and whispered in Caitlin's ear, "Your chariot, milady."

She got inside the car and was soon at the hotel. The minute she unlocked the door to their room, Caitlin stepped inside, closed the door behind her and slid to the ground, resting her head in her hands. A moment later, she opened her eyes and saw her two companions looking at her.

"How was the date?" Sara smirked.

It took about forty-five minutes to call Iris, pick up takeout, and get them all in the hotel room. Another twenty minutes until Sara, Felicity, and Iris were satisfied with her description of the date. By their fourth day, it was like they were all joined at the hip.

They sat in front of the hotel tv, completely engrossed in the movie. "So, she's from Africa and moved to America because her dad got a job?" Caitlin asked.

"Yes!" Everyone whisper-yelled.

They all laughed at pretty much every line in the movie. A few hours later, there was a knock on the door. Caitlin put on her fluffy bathrobe and opened the door.

"Barry," she said.

"I, uh, just came here to pick up Iris."

The other three women leaned forward slightly so they could see what was going on. Barry peered inside the doorway. "Iris?"

Caitlin motioned for Iris to get up. Iris got her coat and walked outside. "Thanks for having me," Iris said.

The two of them left and Caitlin closed the door. "That was awkward," Sara said.

Felicity lightly smacked Sara on the arm. "Are you even going to talk to him?" Sara asked.

"I mean, we're only here for a few more days, so I don't see the point."

Caitlin was getting slightly agitated, so they left it at that. About a day later, they brought it up again. Felicity dragged Sara, grumbling the whole time, to the farmers market. Meanwhile, Iris and Caitlin were exploring one of the more artsy districts of Amsterdam. "I can't believe we've seen so much in six days. Historical tours, museums, markets-" Caitlin said.

"Are you dating Barry?"

"No, we didn't even go on a date! We spent the whole time arguing- wait, what?"

"Barry likes you!"

"Did he say so?"

"Well, no, but-"

"I'm leaving today, Iris. Even if I did like him, it doesn't matter now."

"How do _you_ feel about him?" Iris probed.

"I don't like him. He just makes me so mad! It's infuriating, he always thinks he's right about literally everything! Constantly challenging me and I can't stop thinking about him and- oh, shit."

Iris could barely contain her excitement. "He's at the Van Gogh Museum."

A cab ride later, and Caitlin was at the Van Gogh Museum. She looked around and couldn't find him. Then she saw him, standing in front of "The pink orchard". Caitlin silently went to stand beside him. Their area of the museum had barely any people in it. "This painting reminds me of you. Pretty and smart, but not afraid to call you a loser with a feminine waist."

"Shut up," Caitlin said. She moved so quickly that e barely had any time to react to the kiss. It was a moment or two before he pulled away. "I still think art is stupid."

"Doesn't matter. I still think you're kind of a jerk and I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I wish we could just start over," Barry said.

"We can. Hi, I'm Caitlin Snow."

"Barry Allen."

They shook hands.

Caitlin smiled, "Would you like to get coffee with me Barry?"

"I'd love to."

 **The End**

 **A/N: Sorry this story took so long. I'm actually surprised it didn't take longer with my laziness and fondness for procrastination. I really hope you guys liked this story. The ending was inspired by my favorite lines from the song:** **Maybe we're perfect strangers, Maybe it's not forever, Maybe intellect will change us, Maybe we'll stay together, Maybe we'll walk away, Maybe we'll realize, We're only human**

 **Feedback appreciated and more stories coming (hopefully!) soon.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **SerenityWinter**


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